The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) appears to work on a system of rules that does not allow any logic or common sense to interfere. Imlay City built a new Fire House on Borland Road, just east of M-53. The intelligent thing to do is put a traffic light at that intersection. So MDOT did a “Car Count” and said that there was not enough traffic on M-53 at that intersection to require a traffic light. They ignored the fact that the fire equipment and firemen will need an entrance and exit and that the school busses and students—some of which are new drivers—enter M-53 at the intersection. We have had a lot of accidents in this section of the road over the last few years including fatalities.
If MDOT relies on the Car Count, let’s make a common sense comparison. On M-53, just north of Romeo, is a firehouse with two lanes of traffic, open fields and no intersections—just a firehouse on the west side of the road. There is just beautiful open road with two lanes and a center turn lane. However, there is a full traffic light. On the other hand, Imlay City has four lanes, and a turn lane, and a full intersection plus the road is littered with business entrances and exits but still MDOT relies on the “Count.” Does this count take into consideration the fair or other events at the Fairgrounds?
Also the Industrial Park entrance is just north on the east side of Borland Road with a connecting road that will allow trucks and cars to exit safely with the proposed traffic light. Borland Road from the west is the shortest distance to M-53 from Vlasic.
Why would an open, two-lane, highly visible roadway with no interactions get a full traffic light and a four-lane road with all sorts of distractions not get the light?
If we use the system of formulas—the Count in this case—we should get rid of all the decision makers at MDOT as it appears they are not making any decisions based on logic. They base all decisions on the Count!
I think that MDOT and/or the people involved, who did not correct this farce, should be held criminally responsible for any injuries or deaths at this location.
—Stu Davis,
Imlay City
